Why Urbana Happens When it Does

Before the beginning, God wrote a story—a story that flowed out of God’s very essence. It’s a story that has involved the generations before us and will weave its way through all the generations to come.

It’s a story of the tireless pursuit of all people by the God who is love.

Urbana is about aligning our lives with God’s story and aligning our lives with God. But getting aligned with God is no small thing. It’s a journey that lasts a lifetime and requires all that we are and ever will be. Just getting started on that journey can be an intensely transformative experience.

That’s why Urbana takes 5 days.

Urbana happens over these 5 days in particular because on these days, we’re primed to discern our plans and priorities. In this space between semesters we take stock of the year past and anticipate the year ahead. In this in-between time, we see our lives in the grander scheme of things. We have just a bit more space to ask those fundamental questions of God, ourselves, and where we’re going.

Urbana is a space set apart to hear God speak. We come with our questions and join others for whom our questions are not strange. And as we ask, our vision is refined, our perspective is shaped. We begin to understand the global context of our immediate worlds, and to see ourselves in the larger context of God’s work throughout the world.

At Urbana, we begin to see the world as God sees it—to see the world aright; to see ourselves aright in the world. We see how God, in his love, has made a place for us in his mission. And as we pray and speak and listen with those who have also come, we discern what that place might be.

Urbana is a journey to start to the journey of aligning our whole lives with God’s global mission. Urbana is a space in which to find your life.

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These blogs are the words of the writers and do not represent InterVarsity or Urbana. The same is true of any comments which may be posted about any blog entries. Submitted comments may or may not be posted within the blog, at the blogger's discretion.

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